January 07, 2026 | Be Connected
Believers in Jesus are Children of God
Scripture: John 1:10-13(NIV)
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Devotional
Last year our church theme was “Be God’s Family.” We learned that God has grafted us into His family through the grace of His Son Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 puts it well: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Today’s passage reinforces that truth about faith in Jesus. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Let’s get a few things straight.
First, being alive is not what makes someone a child of God. Verse 10 states, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” Jesus was the co-creator of the entire world. Yet the world He created did not embrace Him. The false teaching of universalism (that every human will go to heaven) is exposed in this verse.
Second, being part of a Godly culture is not what makes someone a child of God. Israel had long before been declared the people of God. But verse 11 says, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Many people think they are in good standing with God simply because America has a Christian cultural bent, or because they were raised in a Christian family. That’s shaky at best.
So, we don’t become children of God by simply being alive, or by being alive in the right place. Rather, we are declared God’s children when we receive and believe. This means accepting, trusting, and following the person, works and words of Jesus.
Today the offer of Jesus is alive and well. Will you receive Him and believe in Him?
